Dental chair.



A. W. BROWNE..

DENTAL CHAIR.

APPLICATION FILED Aus.14, 1915.

Patented Aug. 14, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

A. W.BROWNE'.

DENTAL CHAIR.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 14. 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

'PatentedAug; 14, 1917.

STA.

narnn'r @hlllCE.

ARTHUR W. BROWNE, OF PRINCE BAY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE S. S. WHITE DENTAL MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A. CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

DENTAL CHAIR.

Application filed August 14, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR W. Bnownn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Prince Bay, in the county of Richmond, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dental 1 Chairs, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates particularly to footrests for dental chairs, and is especially directed to that class of foot-rests which include means to vary their relation to the chair seat to accommodate the varying leg measurement of difienent patients.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a foot-rest with such a wide range of movement that it will afford ample support for even the smallest patient.

Other objects of my invention are, to provide a foot-rest having a movable rest portion adapted to be swung toward and from the chair seat, and readily locked and released by means actuated by the foot of the operator; and to provide means thereon with which the heels of the patient may be engaged to prevent the accidental displacement of the patients feet therefrom, whereby the patient is afforded a feeling of security and confidence.

My invention comprehends a foot-rest so proportioned, arranged and balanced, that it may be adjusted, locked and released by a comparatively light pressure and slight turn of the operators foot.

My invention also includes all of the va rious novel features of construction and arrangement hereinafter more definitely specified.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a dental chair conveniently embodying a foot-rest con- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 141, 1917.

Serial No. 45,538.

nism for locking the movable portion of the foot-rest in different positions.

In said figures, the chair comprises the frame 1, seat 2, back 3, head-rest 4 and armrest 5, and has the usual depending brackets 6 which carry a step or platform 7.

Upon the free forward ends of the brackets '6 the main foot-rest frame may be detachaloly mounted and rigidly secured thereto in any suitable manner. The main foot-rest frame is generally rectangular in form, and comprises the side rails 10, connected by the transverse bars 11, 12, 13 and 1-4:. The transverse bars 11 and 12, and that portion of the side rails 10 which is included therebetwcen are provided with an inwardly extending flange 15, forming a recess arranged to receive the foot-board 16, which is supported upon said flange 15. The portions of the side rails 10 which are disposed between the transverse bars 12 and 13 are slightly curved downwardly and merge into the terminal portions 17 which extend obliquely upward and which are connected at the outer ends by the transverse bar 14, carrying a rest 18 for the feet of patients having comparatively long or maximum leg measurement.

The main foot-rest frame is provided with an auxiliary foot-rest frame, which is adjustably carried thereby and which is mounted to rock upon the shafts 19 projecting from lugs 20 on said main foot-rest frame. The side rails 22 of the auxiliary foot-rest frame extend in planes laterally beyond or outside the side rails 10 of the main footrest frame, and have the trans verse bar 23 at its free end normally overlying the transverse bar 13, affording a rest for patients having shorter leg measurement than would be accommodated by the transverse bar 14.

The transverse bar 23 is connected by a plurality of suitably spaced longitudinally extended webs 24: with the transverse bar 25, which, as best shown in Fig. 3, connects the side rails 22 of the auxiliary foot-rest frame and is disposed in oblique relation to the plane of the webs 2% and forms with the downwardly curved rear margin of the transverse bar 23, a transversely extended pocket into which the heels of the patient may project so as to enter the open spaces 26 between the longitudinal webs 24, which, as best shown in said Fig. 3, extend across the bottom of said pocket and afford a feeling of security and confidence to the patient.

The transverse bar 23 of the auxiliary foot-rest frame normally overlies the trans verse bar 13 of the main footsrest frame, and is arranged to be supported upon sultably disposed buffers 27 projecting from sockets 29 adjacent to the intersections of the side rails 10 of the main foot-rest frame and its transverse bar 13.

The side rails 22 of the auxiliary foot-rest frame are curvedly extended rearwardly and downwardly, and are connected by the trans verse bar 30, which affords suitable bearings 31 and bearing 32 for the rock-shaft 33 carrying the dog or pawl 34 disposed be tween the bearings 31, preferably in the median plane of the foot-rest frames, and being actuated by the foot treadle 35 on the free end of said shaft 33, which extends laterally exterior to one of the side rails of said auxiliary foot-rest frame.

The'dog or pawl 34 is secured to the rockshaft 33 and has its forward end 36 weighted and forms a slide-block arranged to support the rack-bar 37 which has its forward end mounted to rock on the shaft 39 in the bearing lug 40 on the transverse bar 13 of the main foot-rest frame, and which has teeth forming notches along its under surface arranged to be engaged by the dog or pawl 34.

As best shown in Fig. 3, the dcg or pawl 34 is provided with a guard 41 for the rackbar 37 which guard has its under surfaces disposed in relatively angular planes, that portion in the rear of its axial plane being substantially parallel with the rack-bar sup-.

porting plane of said slide-block, and that portion forward of the axial plane diverging forwardly with respect to the supporting plane of said slide-block. Thus it will be readily seen that the structure including the dog or pawl 34 may have a rockin movement with respect to the rack-bar 3 while snugly fitting the same, whereby it will be impossible for the rack-bar to he accidentally displaced from its proper cooperation with said dog or pawl 34.

The auxiliary foot-rest frame is so balanced by its rearwardly extending portion, which projects behind its axis of oscillation, that it may be readily swung upon said axis of rotation by a very slight pressure of the operators foot upon the treadle 35, and said auxiliary frame may be caused to be locked in any desired adjusted position by a simultaneousrocking movement of said treadle, effected by a slight twist of the operators foot, to bring the dog or pawl 34 into ongagement with one of the respective teeth 42 of said rack-bar 37, and similarly, said dog or pawl 34 may be released from the teeth of said rack-bar to permit of its readjustment, so that the transverse rest bar 23 may be brought toward or from the seat of the chair as desired, or may be dropped to its normal position overlying the transverse bar 13 of the main foot-rest frame and supported upon the buffers 27.

It is to be noted that when the auxiliary foot-rest is disposed in its normal position as shown in the drawings, the combined structure cooperates to provide all that may be desired, both in appearance and efficiency, in all ordinary cases, and that it is possible with but little effort on the part of the operator to so adjust the auxiliary footrest frame with respect to the chair seat as to accommodate leg measurement of even the smallest patient.

I do not desire to limit my invention to the precise details of construction and arrangement as herein set forth, as it is obvious that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the essential features of my invention as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a dental chair, the combination with a seat frame, of a main foot-rest frame carried thereby, an auxiliary foot-rest frame hingedly connected with said main foot-rest frame and having an extension projecting rearwardly from the plane of the axis of oscillation of said auxiliary foot-rest frame, a bar pivoted to said main foot-rest frame, and means on said extension arranged to be engaged with said bar in different predetermined positions, to sustain said auxiliary foot-rest frame in different positions with respect to said seat frame.

2. In adental chair, the combination with a seat frame, of a main foot-rest frame carried thereby and having a footboard, an auxiliary foot-rest frame overlying said main foot-rest frame and hingedly connected therewith and embracing said footboard, pivoted means on the respective foot-rest frames cooperatively connected to hold said auxiliary foot-rest frame in different adjusted positions with respect to said seat frame, and means actuated by the foot of the operator for looking or releasing said auxiliary footrest frame and for swinging it into different positions.

3. In a dental chair, the combination with a seat frame, of a main foot-rest frame carried thereby, an auxiliary foot-rest frame overlying and extending laterally beyond said main foot-rest frameand hingedly connected therewith, and having rearwardly projecting arms extending beyond the hinged connection, and means carried by said arms for locking the auxiliary footrest frame in different adjusted positions with respect to said seat frame, and including a bar connected with said main footre'st frame.

t. In a dental chair, the combination with a seat frame, of a main foot-rest frame carried thereby, an auxiliary foot-rest frame hingedlv connected with said main footest fi me and having an extension projecting rearwarclly of the plane of the axis of oscillation of said auxiliary foot-rest frame, a far pivoted to said main foot-rest frame, and means on said extension embracing said bar and arranged to be engaged therewith in different predetermined positions, to sustain said auxiliary foot-rest frame in different positions with respect to said seat frame.

5. In a dental chair, the combination with a seat frame, of a main foot-rest frame carried thereby, an auxiliary foot-rest frame hingedly connected with said main foot-rest frame, a rack-bar hingedly connected to said main foot-rest frame, a pawl pivotally supported on said auxiliary foot-rest frame and having means for engaging the teeth of said rack-bar, and means carried with said pawl and rigidly connected thereto for preventing the accidental displacement of said rackbar from said pawl.

6. In a dental chair, the combination with a seat frame, of a main foot-rest frame carried thereby, an auxiliary -footrest frame hingedly connected with said main foot-rest frame and having a portion extending rearwardly of the plane of the axis of oscillation of said auxiliary foot-rest frame, a rackbar pivoted to said main foot-rest frame and extending rearwardly beneath said frames, a pawl pivotally supported in said rear wardly extending portion and havlng a weight tending to rock it into engagement with the teeth of said rack-bar, and also having a guide provided with relatively angular surfaces alternately engaging said rack-bar in accordance with the operative or inoperative position of said pawl, and arranged to prevent the accidental displacement of said rack-bar therefrom.

7. In a structure of the class described, a main footrest frame, an auxiliary footrest frame pivoted thereto and having a portion extending rearwardly of the pivotal axis, a rack bar pivotally connected with said main foot-rest frame, and a rocking member carried by the rearwardly extending portion arranged to engage said rack-bar to hold said auxiliary foot-rest frame in different positions, and comprising means for engaging the teeth of said rack-bar, means tending to tilt said rocking member into operative engagement with said teeth, and means forpreventing the accidental displacement of said rack-bar, and having relatively angular surfaces arranged to alternately engage said rack bar in accordance with the position of said rocking member.

8. In a device of the class described, the combination with a main foot-rest frame, of an auxiliary foot-rest frame hingedly connected therewith and having a projecting portion extending rearwardly of the plane of the axis of oscillation of said auxiliary foot-rest frame, a rack-bar pivotally connected with said main foot-rest frame and extending rearwardly beneath said frames, a pawl pivotally carried by said rearwardly projecting portion and comprising means tending to rock said pawl into engagement with the teeth of said rack-bar, and affording a sliding surface for said rack-bar when said pawl is disengaged from said teeth, and a guard arranged to limit the movement of the pawl, and to prevent the accidental displacement of said rack-bar therefrom by having relatively angular surfaces alternately engaged with said rack-bar and respectively engaged therewith when said pawl is in engagement with said teeth, and when said rack-bar is in engagement with said slidino' surface.

9. iii a device of the class described, the combination with a main foot-rest frame, of an auxiliary foot-rest frame hingedly connected therewith and having a projecting portion extending rearwardly of the plane of the axis of oscillation of said auxiliary fruit-rest frame, a rack-bar pivotally con nected with said main foot-rest frame and extending rearwardly beneath said frames, a pawl pivotally carried by said rearwardly projecting portion and comprising means tending to rock said pawl into engagement with the teeth of said rack-bar, and affording a sliding surface for said rack-bar when said pawl is disengaged from said teeth, a guard arranged to limit the movement of the pawl, and to prevent the accidental displacement of said rack-bar therefrom by having relatively angular surfaces alternately engaged with said rack-bar and respectively engaged therewith when said pawl is in engagement with said teeth, and when said rack-bar is in engagement with said sliding surface, and a foot treadle operatively connected with said pawl for actuating the same and for rocking said auxiliary frame into different adjusted positions.

10. A foot-rest having a transverse pocket provided with a plurality of spaced bars forming a grating therein.

11. A foot-rest having a transverse pocket provided with a plurality of longitudinally disposed bars connecting the walls of said pocket and forming a grating therein.

12. A foot-rest having a transverse restbar provided With a downwardly directed my hand this 10th day of August, A. D., inner margin connected by a series of longi- 1915.

tudinally disposed spaced Webs with a sec- I i 10 0nd transverse bar extending parallel With ARTHUR BROTWNE' 5 said rest-bar and disposed in angular re1a Witnesses:

tion to the plane of said Webs. ALBERT A. SIEVERS, In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set BESSIE C. BROWNE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, 15. OJ" 

